Video: Texas's first massive crystal lagoon starts filling with water

The first-in-Texas, 2-acre crystal lagoon in the Houston area's new Balmoral subdivision is closer to opening. The massive recreational water feature began filling with water on Thursday.

Radio personality and technology expert Michael Garfield, who emceed the brief program at Balmoral, a master planned community near Generation Park in the Summerwood, area pointed out how rare it is to be able to celebrate the first of something in the state of Texas.

Following the program, everybody emptied the water bottles that they had received into the lagoon, one of only about 300 worldwide.

The lagoon will be the social center of the 750-acre, 1,700-home Balmoral community. It will be as deep as eight feet and offer two beaches and opportunities for swimming, kayaking, canoeing, stand-up paddle boarding, and more.

“When we saw the crystal lagoon, and they came and they pitched to us and showed us how it worked, for us it was a no-brainer,” said Tim Johnson, Director of Community Sales and Marketing for Land Tejas the developer of the master planned Balmoral community. “We said this is the kind of amenity, the kind of lifestyle we want to offer residents in Land Tejas communities.”

Michael Garfield, left, the Hi-Tech Texan, leads the ceremonial "Filling of the Crystal Clear Lagoon" event held at the construction site in the Balmoral development near Atascocita, on June 14, 2018. Garfield served as MC for the event. (Jerry Baker/For the Chronicle) less

Michael Garfield, left, the Hi-Tech Texan, leads the ceremonial "Filling of the Crystal Clear Lagoon" event held at the construction site in the Balmoral development near Atascocita, on June 14, 2018. Garfield ... more

Photo: Jerry Baker, Freelance / For The Chronicle

Photo: Jerry Baker, Freelance / For The Chronicle

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Michael Garfield, left, the Hi-Tech Texan, leads the ceremonial "Filling of the Crystal Clear Lagoon" event held at the construction site in the Balmoral development near Atascocita, on June 14, 2018. Garfield served as MC for the event. (Jerry Baker/For the Chronicle) less

Michael Garfield, left, the Hi-Tech Texan, leads the ceremonial "Filling of the Crystal Clear Lagoon" event held at the construction site in the Balmoral development near Atascocita, on June 14, 2018. Garfield ... more

Photo: Jerry Baker, Freelance / For The Chronicle

Video: Texas's first massive crystal lagoon starts filling with water

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The crystal lagoon uses an ultrasonic wave pulse filtration system which uses 1 percent of chemicals and 2 percent of the energy of a conventional swimming pool filtration system.

“The Houston home market is very competitive. We’ve got great master panned developers all over Houston that build amazing communities with great amenities,” Johnson said. “You really have to have something to separate yourself, so the crystal lagoon is a separator for us.”

Unlike a typical neighborhood pool, which is only open from Memorial Day to Labor Day, the Crystal Lagoon will be open year-round.

Johnson said Land Tejas expects the lagoon to be open in late August, though he acknowledged that factors such as weather could change that.